Chapter 17 — Gilgamesh
Several days earlier, long before he had ever stepped onto the battlefield, Raizen had already begun considering the dangers that awaited him.
The more he thought about it, the more hopeless the mission appeared.
With his current strength, hunting rogue ninjas or bounty targets one by one was simply unrealistic. The time limit alone made it nearly impossible. One month was far too short to track down ten separate targets scattered across an entire world.
The biggest obstacle, however, was not strength.
It was information.
He simply had no reliable way to locate his targets.
The only places where exact information could be found were the ninja villages themselves—or the battlefields where ninja forces gathered.
But infiltrating a ninja village? That was practically suicide.
Every major village maintained strict security systems. Patrol units, barrier teams, and reconnaissance specialists constantly monitored their surroundings. Attempting to sneak inside undetected was unrealistic, let alone assassinating someone and escaping afterward.
Even the cities ruled by daimyo were heavily guarded.
Which meant only one option remained.
The battlefield.
Yet that option was arguably even more dangerous.
Before battles even began, ninja reconnaissance units were already deployed across the surrounding areas. These scouts were trained specifically to detect intruders.
Each village possessed its own methods.
And Konoha in particular had something terrifying: the Byakugan.
Those pale eyes could see through walls, through forests, through almost any concealment. To infiltrate a battlefield filled with Hyūga clan members was almost impossible.
Raizen understood all of this clearly. Which was exactly why he had approached uu.
If he wanted even the slightest chance of surviving such madness, he needed the system's help.
After all, he's system possess intelligence, so it could be negotiated.
After a long conversation—and a considerable amount of pleading—uu had finally agreed to assist him.
But not without a condition.
From this point forward, the system would only issue missions.
There would be no rewards.
Raizen had hesitated.
The system's rewards were unbelievably generous. Every completed task had granted him powerful benefits that had allowed him to grow stronger in a very short time.
Giving that up was no small sacrifice.
But after witnessing the brutal reality of the battlefield with his own eyes, Raizen realized something important.
Survival alone…
Was already a miracle.
Lasting even five minutes on such a battlefield would be an achievement.
So in the end—
He accepted.
---
Now, standing amidst the chaos of war, Raizen finally revealed the assistance uu had granted him.
Golden light suddenly erupted from his body.
The brilliance spread outward like a miniature sun, dazzling anyone who looked in his direction.
In the next instant—
Golden armor formed around him.
This was the Trial Card: Gilgamesh.
A circular golden halo appeared behind him in the air, rippling like the surface of water.
Then—
A spear shot out from the golden ripple with terrifying speed.
It pierced straight through the ninja who had just attempted to cut Raizen down.
The man froze in place for a moment before collapsing lifelessly.
The sudden display immediately drew the attention of many ninjas fighting nearby.
Even the man commanding Konoha's forces on the battlefield—Orochimaru—turned his gaze toward the golden-armored figure.
Orochimaru's long tongue flicked slowly across his lips as curiosity filled his eyes.
"Interesting…"
Yet his hands never stopped moving.
With a casual motion, he finished off a nearby Sunagakure ninja before turning his full attention toward Raizen.
---
Raizen pulled the spear free from the fallen enemy and flicked it lightly.
Blood droplets scattered across the ground.
He stared at the weapon in his hand, unable to hide the faint amazement in his expression.
So this… is the power of the Golden King…
It was overwhelming. Strength far beyond anything he had previously experienced surged through his body.
For a moment, he felt almost intoxicated by the sensation.
Suddenly, battle cries erupted around him.
Several Sunagakure ninjas had noticed the strange golden warrior and immediately rushed toward him.
Their movements were fast and coordinated.
Without even thinking, Raizen raised one finger.
Golden ripples spread through the air around him.
The Gate of Babylon opened.
From the shimmering portals, countless weapons began to emerge.
Swords.
Spears.
Halberds.
Blades of countless shapes and sizes.
Within seconds, the weapons launched forward like a deadly storm.
Four Sunagakure ninjas were instantly impaled before they could even react.
After striking their targets, the weapons dissolved into golden particles, returning to the Treasure of Kings.
Many of these artifacts were unfamiliar to Raizen. But even in their dormant state, their power was astonishing.
Some weapons detonated upon impact.
Others carried curses that weakened enemies.
Some pierced through any defense.
Others shattered magical barriers.
The spear currently in Raizen's hand was the legendary weapon Gáe Dearg—the Red Rose of Destruction once wielded by Diarmuid Ua Duibhne.
Its unique anti-magic property allowed it to tear apart incoming ninjutsu with ease.
Raizen began moving through the battlefield like a streak of lightning.
Golden ripples continuously appeared behind him. Artifacts shot out one after another, killing every Konoha or Sunagakure ninja that stood in his way.
To him, the battlefield had become something else entirely.
A stage.
And he was its sole performer.
---
"Is this… a Kekkei Genkai?"
Orochimaru's eyes gleamed with dangerous fascination.
Such power.
Such strange abilities.
The more he watched, the more his curiosity grew.
He wanted to dissect it.
Study it.
Understand it completely.
Whether driven by scientific curiosity or his duty as the battlefield's supreme commander, Orochimaru finally decided to act.
He moved forward.
"Show me more of this power."
His hands formed seals.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
A massive surge of wind roared toward Raizen like a violent storm.
Raizen swung his spear, and the raging wind split apart as though sliced by an invisible blade.
Moments later, an Uchiha ninja launched a fire technique toward him.
Once again—
Raizen swung his spear.
The flames scattered instantly, cut apart by the weapon's anti-magic properties.
Orochimaru's eyes widened slightly.
"A weapon… that can tear apart ninjutsu?"
His gaze burned with intense interest.
---
At the center of the battlefield, Raizen stood surrounded by shimmering golden ripples.
The entire area glowed with radiant light. For a brief moment, something strange happened.
Both Sunagakure and Konoha ninjas hesitated. Faced with such overwhelming power, neither side dared approach recklessly.
Raizen, however, felt exhilarated.
The power of the Golden King flowed through him effortlessly.
It felt incredible.
Around him, the Chains of Heaven appeared—divine chains capable of both offense and defense.
With a single swing, the chains pierced through multiple enemies at once.
Three.
Four.
Even the bounty targets he had previously identified were caught in the attack.
One of them struggled briefly before Raizen twisted the chains. His head separated from his body.
Blood sprayed across the battlefield.
The brutal display immediately enraged the surrounding ninjas. For a moment, the fighting between the two villages actually slowed.
Both sides turned their attention toward the same enemy.
Raizen.
---
Orochimaru frowned slightly.
As Konoha's strongest presence on the battlefield, he could not simply stand by and watch.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
Four enormous snakes appeared beside him.
Each creature stretched over twenty meters in length, their massive bodies writhing as they rushed toward Raizen.
Yet the moment they appeared—
Golden portals opened above them.
A rain of artifacts descended. Within seconds, all four giant snakes were impaled by countless weapons.
Several artifacts exploded violently upon impact. Before the snakes could even release a proper cry of pain, their massive bodies collapsed lifelessly onto the battlefield.
At the same time, several artifacts immediately shot toward Orochimaru.
"Summoning Jutsu: Triple Rashomon!"
Three massive demonic gates erupted from the ground. As one of the strongest defensive techniques available, Triple Rashomon successfully blocked three incoming artifacts.
Raizen watched calmly.
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
So what?
High above the battlefield, hundreds of golden ripples suddenly appeared.
Countless artifacts began emerging from them.
Gasps echoed across the battlefield.
"How… how is this possible?!"
They had already seen the destructive power of these strange weapons.
But this many?
The sheer scale of destruction was unimaginable.
"Orochimaru-sama, retreat!" a Konoha ninja shouted.
There was no need. Orochimaru had already vanished underground using an escape technique.
The golden storm descending from the sky was simply too overwhelming.
Even Triple Rashomon might not withstand it.
At that moment, something unexpected happened.
Golden waves of sand surged forward, attempting to bury the Gate of Babylon portals.
Raizen turned his head.
Not far away stood a red-haired ninja from Sunagakure with short hair, his hands raised as he controlled the flowing sand.
It was none other than Rasa.
The commander of Sunagakure's forces. And the man who would one day become the Fourth Kazekage.
Raizen's eyes lit up with excitement.
If I kill him here… That would be worth everything.
After all, this man was on the bounty list. His head alone was worth eighty million.
Raizen grinned.
Without hesitation, he unleashed the Gate of Babylon at full power.
Three hundred.
Four hundred.
Artifacts poured from the sky like a divine judgment.
The Treasure of Kings consumed almost no mana. After all, the weapons already existed within it.
Raizen merely had to activate and launch them.
The golden sand waves were instantly pierced by the barrage of weapons.
Hundreds of artifacts shot directly toward Rasa.
Rasa remained surprisingly calm.
His hands moved rapidly as layer upon layer of golden sand formed defensive barriers around him.
The artifacts slammed into the sand shields.
Those with explosive properties detonated violently. Making the battlefield trembled from the deafening blasts.
"Monster…"
Rasa's expression darkened. His sand waves surged like a raging ocean, attempting to block the endless rain of weapons.
But the barrage above him seemed limitless.
---
Watching from a distance, Orochimaru smiled faintly.
If Rasa were eliminated here, it would certainly save him considerable effort.
After all, the Kazekage's sand techniques were extremely troublesome on the battlefield.
But just as he began to enjoy the scene—
Something shot toward him.
The Chains of Heaven.
Orochimaru's smile instantly froze.
---
At the center of the battlefield—
Raizen stood alone.
Golden light illuminated the war-torn land around him.
And before him stood the combined forces of two great ninja villages.
***
Note: Of course, he's OP. Though not baseless OP, cause the System possessed intelligence. Why not negotiate with it? MC ain't a moron.